Chicago is in news again, and this time for its police oversight agency. For a city that has come into the harsh spotlight due to rising crime rates, slow investigations and a lack of disciplinary action can be damaging.

Yet the City of Chicago's Independent Police Review Authority has been doing just that, much to the dismay of the city and its people. Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently announced plans to disband the agency that was formed to investigate police shootings and misconduct but has failed to carry out its tasks.

The city has seen an 84 percent rise in homicides in the last year. But the crime rate is not the only cause for concern here. There is a growing distrust of officers and frequent public outcries over police conduct and discipline. The waning confidence in Chicago's police and heavy scrutiny for CPD's actions in the past speaks volumes. NPR reports that the scrapping the agency is a reaction to the current crisis.

A report released by a Chicago Police accountability task force has been scathing in its analysis of the way the agency worked, with only 2 percent of claims against officers upheld in the decade it has been operational. It also cited a "racist history and use of excessive force" in the way they dealt with minorities, which needs to change immediately.

The need of the hour, the report stressed, is an independent and new civilian police investigative agency that will change these inefficiencies.

The mayor admitted a new agency with newer and better resources to work with is needed. The aftermath of the 2014 police shooting of Laquan McDonald has seen distrust not just for the force but also the administration and their way of handling important issues like police misconduct and officer-involved shootings.

A recent NBC5 report points to another troubling trend in Chicago: Police are more likely to stop and search vehicles driven by a minority driver as opposed to a white driver. Even if they expect minority drivers more likely to have illegal contraband, data over the years has actually proven exactly otherwise. A complete analysis of the most recent set of data shows local police departments have consistently stopped minority drivers at least 23 percent more than whites.

In the light of recent events, it is perhaps high time for authorities to sit up and take notice of these glaring irregularities. Various incidents like these have promoted South Side Alderman Leslie Hairston to propose a complete replacement of the IPRA with the Independent Citizen Police Monitor.

This independent body would not only look into police shootings and allegations of excessive use of force, but also investigate officer misconduct, sexual and otherwise, coercive threats of violence and domestic violence by police officers.

Every law enforcement and justice department needs an effective oversight agency. The role of the oversight agency is huge, and its inefficiencies can be damaging for any community.

The recent resignation of San Francisco's police chief throws light on the fact that civilian oversight agencies and the Department of Justice's COPS program have an increasingly stronger voice in the city's proceedings. In a matter of hours following the latest fatal police shooting, the chief resigned at the request of the mayor.

The need for reform is paramount as both the law enforcement agency and the city are shaken by these reports. There is an imperative need for things to move quickly, and new leadership might just be the right catalyst.

The oversight agencies are closely scrutinizing the department's use of force training and practices so that similar incidents can be prevented in future.